Doctor Demon

Siwan stirred in his sleep. The first ray of sunshine hit his eyes and he slowly woke up. His head felt a little heavy because he drank a little last night after the surgery. 

Last night…

The memories of the possessed girl were starting to return and he felt a heavy burden on his heart. She was safe but how many more people would have to die because of demons? And what if Hobin became one too?

Siwan looked around only to realize that he was not in his mansion nor in his new apartment. Instead, he was in Jiwoon's apartment!

"What the?" he muttered in surprise. He slowly got up only to realize that someone was holding his hand. Jiwoon was fast asleep next to the couch, holding his hand. Siwan was a little taken aback but smiled at the thought that she did not leave his side at a time when he felt vulnerable.

Slowly moving his hand away, he was about to get off the couch when Jiwoon began to wake up.

"I'm sorry!" he quickly said. "I thought you were asleep and-"

"It's okay," she mumbled sleepily. "Are you feeling alright?"

Siwan sighed. She was the one who half slept on the floor and was still asking if he was alright?

"I'm fine, Detective," he assured her. "I'm sorry for intruding like this. I was not in my right mind and-"

"You didn't leave Yeonjoo alone in her last moments," Jiwoon pointed out. "So I couldn't leave you alone when you needed a friend."

Siwan was unsure of what to say to her logic. The girl always felt indebted to him whereas he should be grateful to her for being so wise. If it was not for her, he would not have been able to accept his selfish side and heal.

"What happened, Doctor Kang?" Jiwoon gently asked. "You were a little upset last night. Is everything alright?"

Siwan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She sat next to him, waiting for an answer. 

"I'll tell you but only if you promise that you won't tell this to anyone else," he pleaded. "Please."

Jiwoon was now a little worried. "What happened?" she asked. "I won't tell anyone."

He took a deep breath and faced her.

"I'm learning how to exorcise demons," he revealed. "From Jina's grandfather."

There was a long stretch of silence following his confession. Jiwoon blinked in surprise, confused by his decision.

"Why?" She asked. "What's wrong? Is there another demon trying to harm you?"

"Not really…" Siwan said. "It's more complicated than that. I want to protect my brother from a demon."

Jiwoon was confused but did not speak. "There's a demon which is...let's just say it's tormenting Hobin," he said. "And I feel that he'll be in danger someday. All these years, we didn't know what it was but now we do. It's a demon and I've seen it."

"You saw it?" Jiwoon echoed.

"Hwang Junho took me to a shaman who showed us the demon which is haunting Hobin," he said. "And I want to get rid of it so that my brother isn't harmed. For that, I need to learn how to exorcise a demon. So please, don't tell this to anyone. Also, don't let Hobin touch you. Not even a slight brush."

"Touch?" she frowned. What did that mean?

"Just promise me that you won't let him touch you and you won't tell anyone else about this," he insisted. "Please!"

He was giving her an intense stare which made Jiwoon worried. She could not refuse his request, not when he was looking at her like that. Her heart was pounding fast and she slightly blushed.

"Okay," she agreed. "But if you're in any sort of danger, I'll have to tell this to someone. Deal?"

"Fine," Siwan agreed, holding her hand. "Deal. Until then, don't tell anyone."

Jiwoon looked down at their intertwined hands and blushed harder. Siwan seemed to have noticed that he was holding her hand and quickly moved it away, thinking that she was embarrassed by his gesture. Unbeknownst to him, she felt comforted by his touch.

GRRRROWWWWWL!

Jiwoon's eyes widened when her stomach let out a loud rumble. She tried to straighten up and hide her embarrassment but Siwan heard her stomach growling in hunger.

"I can make breakfast," he offered. "It's the least I could do for you."

"No!" she exclaimed. "That's okay. I have to go to work-"

"Then let's grab something to eat in front of the cafe downstairs," he offered. "It's my treat! Think of it as a date between friends."

He smiled warmly at her, flashing his boyish charm which made her heart beat even faster. Jiwoon hid her face, hoping that he did not notice her red face but he caught a glimpse of it.

"Are you feeling ill?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "Let me take a look at it."

Siwan touched her forehead which did not help Jiwoon's overwhelming feelings. She was as still as a statue as his warm fingers checked her temperature.

"You seem to be fine," he said. "Are you feeling ill at all?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "It's just the weather, I guess."

Siwan was confused. He watched as she got up and headed into her room.

"Are we still up for breakfast?" he asked. Jiwoon paused and nodded, not daring to look at him as if she was afraid he would find out about her feelings if he saw her eyes. She quickly went back into her room and shut the door behind her. Slumping against the door, she held her chest to try and slow down her poor heart which beats crazily for him.

"He likes someone else," she told herself. "I really shouldn't think of him like this."

That's right, she thought sadly. He deserves someone way better. Not someone like me.

Outside, Siwan was a little troubled. Did he offend her with the friendly date? 

He was not sure but being near Jiwoon comforted him a lot. Her presence was calming and he found himself yearning to be near her. Was he intruding too much in her life?

"I should be more careful," he told himself.